Inspection Detail

Inspection: 302111653 - King Shell

Inspection Information - Office: Chicago South Area Office

Investigation Summary

On February 25, 1999, Employee #1, the manager of a gas station and the son of the station owner, was inflating a tire that a customer had just brought in for repair. He was bent over the tire, which was laying flat on the ground, using an air hose connected to an air compressor that was set at 150 psi. Employee #1 was filling the tire when it exploded, striking him in the face and throwing him backward to the ground. The tire struck the ceiling and a bar joist, and then fell to the ground. Employee #1 suffered numerous fractures of his face and jaw, as well as injuries to his right thumb. He was transported to the hospital, where he underwent surgery and had his jaw wired closed. On March 8, 1999, Employee #1 died as a result of respiratory distress syndrome and his multiple facial injuries. At the time of the accident, he was inflating the tire without using a reducer on the air hose.

Keywords: AIR PRESSURE, FRACTURE, WORK RULES, HIGH PRESSURE, RESTRAINING DEVICE, INFLATING, STRUCK BY, FLYING OBJECT, FACE, TIRE